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Feb 27, 2025

Best Bluetooth Speaker for 2025 - CNET

Whether you're looking for a speaker with a rechargeable battery or bigger speakers to complement your TV setup, these are the best bluetooth speakers according to our testing. If you're looking for a

Whether you're looking for a speaker with a rechargeable battery or bigger speakers to complement your TV setup, these are the best bluetooth speakers according to our testing.

If you're looking for a new bluetooth speaker for playing music and more across a room, pool party or backyard, we're here to bring you the best you can buy. I've tested hundreds of portable Bluetooth speakers dating all the way back to the Jawbone Mini Jambox over 10 years ago to bring you the perfect match that meets all your needs. Our hands-on testing covers everything from premium boom boxes to budget-friendly options under $50 and evaluates sound quality, battery life, durability and special features like party mode and voice assistance. After years of testing, I've identified the best Bluetooth speakers to deliver exceptional audio performance at every price point in 2025.

Choosing the best Bluetooth speaker overall is a tough decision given how many speakers are out there now. However, the Soundcore by Anker Boom 2 tops our list. While this is a great pick, there are others worth considering like the Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen), Bose SoundLink Max and Tribit StormBox Flow along with the newest 2024 Beats Pill. Sony's LinkBuds Bluetooth Speaker, Ultimate Ears' Everboom and Tribit Strombox Blast 2 are our latest top picks.

I liked the original Soundcore Motion Boom, which made our best Bluetooth speakers list and was one of the better mini boom box Bluetooth speaker values over the last few years, selling for around $80. The 3.75-pound Boom 2 costs more but sounds substantially better, with more than double the power rating of the original, so it not only plays louder but kicks out more bass and offers better clarity at higher volumes (it's equipped with two tweeters and one subwoofer). It also has a couple of built-in LED lights to help create that party vibe. It's an impressive-sounding speaker for its size and a good value.

Waterproof (IPX7-rated) with a floatable design, the speaker's battery life is rated at up to 24 hours at moderate volume levels (it charges via USB-C) and you can tweak the sound and customize the lighting with the Soundcore app for iOS and Android. There's also a USB-out port to charge your devices.

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The best way to describe Bose's new SoundLink Home speaker is as the spiritual successor to the SoundLink Mini 2, which was quietly discontinued in late 2018. Available in two color options, the SoundLink Home is a portable Bluetooth speaker with up to 9 hours of battery life, but it has more of an indoor design, with an aluminum chassis and no water resistance (you can move it around but it's not a speaker you'd take to the beach or take camping).

Equipped with Bluetooth 5.3 and weighing slightly more than 2 pounds, it's able to deliver an impressive amount of bass sound for its compact size. Overall, it sounds excellent for a mini Bluetooth speaker, featuring decent clarity and bigger sound than the SoundLink Flex. Like any small speaker, it does have its sound limitations (if you push the volume up with certain tracks, it can sound a bit restrained in certain frequencies as its digital processing seeks to prevent distortion). Pairing two of these speakers together as a stereo pair does produce significantly better sound and you can link the speaker directly to a computer, smartphone or tablet with a USB-C cable for wired sound (it does sound slightly better in wired USB-C mode). On a more critical note, it's somewhat expensive and doesn't link to Bose's companion app for headphones and other Bluetooth speakers, so you can't tweak the sound profile.

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When the SoundLink Flex speaker launched, Bose made some bold claims about its new Bluetooth speaker, particularly its bass performance. It mostly lived up to the hype and is arguably the best-sounding wireless speaker for its compact size. A 2nd Gen model quietly arrived in October of 2024 that adds a few new features, including a new customizable shortcut button, Bose app compatibility (you can now tweak the sound profile with an equalizer and create a SimpleSync connection with another compatible Bose product) and support for the AAC and AptX audio codecs. It's also equipped with Bluetooth 5.3 instead of Bluetooth 4.2. Those aren't major upgrades, but they do make an excellent portable Bluetooth speaker slightly better.

The 2nd gen SoundLink Flex is available in black, blue dusk, sandstone and a new alpine sage color. Like the original, it's equipped with Bose's PositionIQ technology to automatically detect the speaker's orientation and deliver optimized sound based on whether it's upright, hanging or flat on its back.

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The Beats Pill of 2024 has improved in some key ways from its predecessor, particularly when it comes to sound quality, durability, battery life and price point. I do like the form factor and lighter weight of the Bose SoundLink Flex. The Pill does have a few extras like USB-C audio wired mode and speakerphone functionality that are appealing.

You'll have to decide how important those extras are when weighing the Pill against the Bose SoundLink Flex. Any way you look at it, the Pill is a very good compact Bluetooth speaker. Like the Bose, it's an easy portable wireless speaker to recommend, especially if its price dips by $20 to $30, as the SoundLink Flex's price sometimes does during flash sales.

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Sony made some mistakes with its LinkBuds Bluetooth speaker. First, it launched it in its LinkBuds line with a couple of new LinkBuds, so it kind of got lost in the shuffle. Second, it's a little too expensive at its list price. But ignoring all that, I was surprised how good it sounded for its tiny size. It's easily among the best-sounding micro Bluetooth speakers out there and is equipped with a two-way speaker system featuring a dedicated tweeter and Sony's X-Balanced Speaker unit (woofer), giving it much fuller sound than you'd expect with punchy bass and good clarity. It's still a mono speaker, though you can pair two of them together for stereo sound.

Battery life is also impressive. At moderate volume levels, it's rated for up to 25 hours of battery life. It also comes with its own wireless charging dock, which clearly added some cost to the speaker, that is IPX4 splash-proof and comes in light gray or black. The LinkBuds Speaker gets its name from its ability to seamlessly take over ("auto switch") from your LinkBuds Fit, LinkBuds Open or LinkBuds S earbuds, as well as Sony's 1000XM5 earbuds, when you walk into your home and put your earbuds back in their case (your smartphone must be in Bluetooth range of the speaker). Also, your music will automatically switch from the speaker to your buds when you put the buds in your ears.

Tribit's StormBox Flow is another Bose SoundLink Flex knockoff for less that shares some similarities with the Soundcore Motion 300, including the same list price. The Tribit may sound slightly better than the Motion 300, edging it out for bass performance by a tad, but the Anker speaker wins on design.

Like the Bose SoundLink Flex, the Tribit StormBox Flow can be laid down flat with its speaker firing up. You can also wirelessly pair two of the speakers together for stereo sound. It has an IP67 rating, which means it's dust-resistant and fully waterproof. Tribit says it delivers up to 30 hours of audio at moderate volume levels. That's impressive.

When I first heard about the SoundLink Max, I was a little surprised Bose would put out a $399 Bluetooth speaker after the $149 SoundLink Flex speaker did so well. The Flex was so successful because it not only sounds good for its compact size but it doesn't cost that much, at least not for a Bose product. Not surprisingly, the 4.89-pound Max also sounds impressive -- it may just be the best-sounding for its size -- and has a premium design with a built-in rope handle that's replaceable (the Max is fully waterproof and dust-proof). It's a great Bluetooth speaker, but its high price tag may turn some folks off.

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The Soundcore by Anker Select Go 4 doesn't have quite the build quality as JBL's Go 4 micro Bluetooth speaker (it has a slight budget feel to it), but it offers comparable sound quality and costs half the price. Like the JBL Go 4, the similarly named Select Go 4 sounds decent for its tiny size and is able to output just enough bass to avoid sounding tinny. Also, it's fully waterproof and even floats. Battery life is rated for an impressive 20 hours at moderate volumes and you can pair two of these speakers together for stereo sound. It's definitely a good value.

New for 2024, Tribit has released a second-gen version of its popular Stormbox Blast Bluetooth boom box speaker. The Stormbox Blast 2 has an upgraded design -- it's less boxy and generic looking than the original -- along with upgraded speaker drivers and two inputs for wired microphones for karaoke (the microphones are sold separately). The speaker is quite beefy, weighing in at 15.8 pounds, and it's rated for 200 watts of power, with an 80-watt subwoofer, dual 45-watt mid-range drivers and two 15-watt tweeters. This thing plays loud, has powerful bass (I mainly kept the bass boost mode engaged) and measures up well against more premium Bluetooth boom box speakers from JBL and Sony that cost about twice as much. Like the original, this also has a light show component -- it's customizable or can be turned off -- and the speaker is fully waterproof with an IP67 rating. The Sormbox Bast 2 is rated for an impressive 30 hours of battery at moderate volume levels with the light show-off, but battery life does drop significantly when you really crank the volume. Also worth noting: there's a charge-out port, and interestingly, the speaker can be charged with a USB-C cable or the included two-prong power cord.

Bose makes its excellent SoundLink Flex Bluetooth speaker that sells for around $150 and sometimes goes on sale for less. The Soundcore Motion 300 is Anker's answer to that Bose speaker. Around the same size as the Bose, it doesn't sound quite as good, but it sounds impressive for its compact size and lists for only $80 (it's been on sale for as low as $55).

Like the SoundLink Flex, it can be laid down flat with its speaker firing up toward the ceiling or propped up as shown in the photo above. It's IPX7 waterproof and delivers up to 13 hours of audio at moderate volume levels. There's also support for Sony's LDAC audio codec for Android and other devices that support Bluetooth wireless streaming with LDAC.

The speaker has a bass-boost button that does amp up the low end a bit, but I actually thought the speaker sounded a little better without the bass boost engaged because it seemed slightly overdriven with the boost.

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Sonos's original Roam speaker sounded very good for its compact size, but many users complained that it was tricky to go from Wi-Fi mode at home and Bluetooth mode on the go. With the release of the new Roam 2, which comes in five color options, those connectivity issues go away. The reality is the Roam 2 isn't much of an upgrade. It has the same acoustic architecture (and the same impressive sound for its size), but now it has two buttons -- one for power and the other for Bluetooth -- instead of a single power button. That Bluetooth button lets you pair the speaker with any Bluetooth-enabled audio device right out of the box. Previously, the setup was more convoluted and required you to connect to your Sonos home Wi-Fi network first.

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Not too long ago, Ultimate Ears released its higher-end Epicboom Bluetooth speaker, which sounds very good but is pretty pricey at $300 and somewhat large. The newer Everboom is about half the size, weighing in at 2.1 pounds (the Epicboom weighs 4.36 pounds), and more travel-friendly. It can't produce as much sound or bass as the Epicboom, but it does play relatively loud, and I was in some ways more impressed with its sound than the Epicboom's. By that I mean for its size, it's one of the best-sounding speakers out there, delivering punchy bass and nicely detailed sound.

Fully waterproof (it floats) and dustproof with an IP67 rating, it offers up to 20 hours of battery life at moderate volume levels and can be wirelessly linked up with most of UE's current family of Boom Bluetooth speakers, which includes the Boom 4, Megaboom 4, Epicboom and Hyperboom. Alas, the only strike against it is its relatively high price tag ($250).

Harman Kardon, which is owned by Samsung, makes popular JBL Bluetooth speakers like the Flip 6 and JBL Charge. The under-the-radar Harman Kardon Luna may just be the best mini Bluetooth speaker you've never heard of. It's not only attractively designed -- it comes in black or white -- but sounds surprisingly good for its size, with clear, natural sound and punchy bass (it's a mono speaker with a dual-driver design that features a woofer and a tweeter).

It's slightly bigger than JBL's Flip series speakers and slightly smaller than the JBL Charge series, but the Luna's got a bit of heft to it, weighing in at 1.56 pounds (0.71 kg). Equipped with Bluetooth 5.3, it's also fully waterproof and dustproof, with an IP67 rating. Battery life is rated at up to 12 hours at moderate volume levels. I did find it to be a better-sounding speaker than the JBL Flip 6 and preferred it in some ways to the JBL Charge 5.

The Tribit XSound Plus 2 is the successor to the similarly priced MaxSound Plus, which was a very good value. The XSound Plus 2 plays a little louder (it has a 30-watt vs. 24-watt power rating) and also has a slightly better battery (up to 24 hours at 50% volume vs. 20 hours). Additionally, this speaker is equipped with Bluetooth 5.3 and is able to connect to the Tribit app and link up in party mode with Tribit's XSound Plus 2, SormBox Flow and StormBox 2 Bluetooth speakers.

The speaker, which weighs in at 1.28 pounds, does play quite loud for its size and delivers an ample amount of bass. The sound can be a bit uneven (the speaker sounds very good with some tracks and a little brash with others), but you can tweak the sound profile with some EQ settings, including three preset sound modes built into the speaker itself.

Overall, the speaker seems pretty durable and has a removable lanyard and an IPX7 rating, which means it's fully waterproof. It does have speakerphone capabilities as well as an auxiliary input.

Sony launched the SRS-XB23 a few years ago, and it was a fairly popular portable Bluetooth speaker. The lightweight and compact ULT Field 1 sort of looks like a cross between the XB23 and the newer SRS-XE200. It sounds significantly better than the XB23, which had bass forward sound but just didn't offer enough clarity and detail for my tastes. The ULT Field 1 sounds fuller and more balanced and competes favorably with JBL's popular Flip 6, which lists for the same price.

The speaker comes in four colors: off-white, orange, black and forest gray, and it's waterproof and dust-proof, with an IP67 rating. It also has speakerphone capabilities and is rated for up to 12 hours of battery life at moderate volume levels.

When you press the ULT button, you get a bass boost and overall fuller sound. Unlike with the ULT button on the Wear headphones that I thought boosted the bass too much, in the case of the Field 1, the speaker didn't have enough bass unless the ULT button was engaged.

Marshall's 2023 Middleton speaker isn't exactly compact. It also isn't so beefy that you get a workout carrying it around. Weighing 4 pounds (1.8kg), it's bigger than Marshall's Emberton speaker and smaller and more portable than its Kilburn II speaker. Any way you look at it, it sounds very good for its size and puts out a surprising amount of quality bass while offering good treble detail and natural-sounding mids (where vocals live). I also liked that it has equalizer controls on the speaker itself and is fully waterproof and dustproof with an IP67 rating.

Battery life is rated at up to 20 hours at moderate volume levels and Marshall says it takes 4.5 hours to fully recharge the speaker. Its USB-C charging port also has a charge-out feature that allows you to use the speaker as a power bank and charge your devices. You can pair two or more speakers to amplify the sound, but you can't pair two speakers together to create a stereo pair. Marshall says the Middleton uses True Stereophonic, "a unique form of multidirectional stereo sound" and I did think the soundstage was bigger than what you typically get from a speaker this size. The only downside to the speaker is that it's fairly expensive but I was otherwise impressed.

Back in 2020, Tribit released the StormBox Micro, a budget version of Bose's excellent SoundLink Micro speaker that delivered surprisingly good sound for its size and modest price. The second-gen StormBox Micro 2 offers improved sound and battery life, along with a charge-out feature that turns the speaker into a power bank for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. An integrated strap allows you to clip it to your backpack or your bike's handlebars.

Like the original, it's an excellent value and easy to recommend if you're looking for a super-compact portable wireless speaker. It does cost $60 but sometimes goes on sale for closer to $50.

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Anker's Soundcore Motion X600 mini boom box not only has a premium look and feel with a metal grille and carrying handle, but includes some interesting features like spatial audio and support for Sony's LDAC audio codec. It sounds impressive for its relatively compact size and is a good value.

Weighing 4.2 pounds (1.9 kg), it's got some heft to it, but it's light enough to carry around without feeling like you're getting a workout. The speaker is available in gray, green and blue color options and is equipped with five drivers, including two woofers, two tweeters and one full-range, upward-firing driver "in a unique speaker array that combined with Soundcore's audio algorithm and DSP helps create a wide (and tall) soundstage for listening to any type of music," according to Anker. It's rated for 50 watts of total power, with two 20-watt amps devoted to the woofers and tweeters and a third 10-watt amp powering the upward-firing driver.

At the default sound setting without bass boost or spatial audio engaged, I wasn't exactly wowed with sound quality (the bass is a bit underwhelming, the mids are recessed and there's a bit too much treble push). But as soon as you engage the bass boost and spatial audio, everything sounds more balanced and full. You can also tweak the sound profile further in the Soundcore companion app for iOS and Android.

Sony's smallest Bluetooth speaker was once again modestly upgraded in 2023, with a new Bluetooth chipset, slightly improved sound and speakerphone performance. This portable Bluetooth speaker is both dust- and waterproof with an IP67 certification and, like its predecessor (the SRS-XB13), it's rated for 16 hours of battery life at moderate volume levels and it charges via USB-C. Equipped with Bluetooth 5.3 with support for the AAC and SBC audio codecs, the speaker plays bigger than you'd think for its small size, with some punch to its bass. It's pretty impressive for a mini mono speaker.

Although the 9.6-ounce (272-gram) speaker appears to have the same design as the XB13, Sony says its new sound diffusion processor "realizes richer spread sound," which means this has a bit wider soundstage, which I can confirm. It can output only so much sound, but if you add a second XB100, you can get stereo-quality sound. There's no companion app, but that isn't a huge deal.

The XB100 is available in multiple color options and includes a strap so you can attach it to various objects. It also has speakerphone capabilities with an integrated microphone. (As I said, the speakerphone's performance has been improved, and callers said they could hear me clearly indoors.)

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With each new version of the Flip, JBL makes small improvements, and while the latest model, the Flip 6, doesn't look much different from the Flip 5 on the outside, it does feature improved sound. It has two-way drivers with a woofer and tweeter and dual passive radiators that help the Flip 6 deliver much deeper bass than you think it could.

It's fully waterproof and dustproof with an IPX67 rating. Like the Flip 5, it's rated for up to 12 hours of audio playback at moderate volume levels and charges via USB-C. Available in multiple color options, it's one of the best-sounding speakers for its compact size.

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I consider the smaller Boom 2 the best value among current Soundcore by Anker Bluetooth speakers because it delivers very strong sound for a speaker that costs a little more than $100. But the larger and more expensive Boom 2 Plus is a better-sounding speaker that plays louder and produces bigger sound with more bass. It costs around $250, the key thing about it is that it competes well with boom box speakers from JBL and Sony which cost upwards of $400.

This speaker has dual 50W woofers and dual 20W tweeters, Anker says, and charges via USB-C, which is nice. There is also a charge-out option to charge your devices and the Boom 2 Plus is rated for up to 20 hours of playback time at moderate volume levels. The speaker has both a handle and removable strap to make it easy to carry around and is IPX7 waterproof. It also floats should you drop it in a body of water and has a customizable light show option.

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JBL's Charge 5 offers a good balance of size, performance and durability. It's bigger than some of the mini speakers on this list, like the Flip 5, but is still compact and packs more bass punch and overall volume. Featuring a built-in USB charging port for juicing up your mobile devices, it offers improved audio and a dustproof and waterproof design that's elevated from the previous Charge. According to JBL, the speaker is equipped with a "racetrack-shaped driver," with a separate tweeter and dual passive radiators, to improve both clarity and bass performance over the Charge 4. (In my tests, this indeed proved to be the case.)

Battery life is rated at 20 hours at moderate volume levels. This model is also equipped with JBL's PartyBoost feature that allows you to connect it to other compatible JBL portable speakers to augment their sound. The Charge 5 comes in six color options: black, blue, gray, red, teal and "squad" (which looks like a kind of camo).

For its first three generations, JBL's Clip micro Bluetooth speaker had a circular design. For the fourth-gen Clip 4, JBL has moved to a more oval shape, bulked up the speaker slightly and added USB-C charging. This portable Bluetooth speaker does seem more durable, with a sturdier integrated carabiner clip. Also, it sounds a little better, with more volume, clearer sound and more bass. With an IP67 water-resistance rating, it can survive being dunked in shallow water and is dustproof. The Clip 4 is right up there with the best overall micro Bluetooth speakers.

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Ultimate Ears' fourth-generation Wonderboom 4 offers some small improvements over its predecessor, including USB-C charging (finally) and a new Podcast EQ mode. Otherwise, the speaker is unchanged and sounds very similar with an identical battery life rating of 14 hours (at moderate volume levels) and a Bluetooth chip that allows for extended wireless range of over 130 feet (40 meters). The design hasn't been altered either, although the speaker now comes in different color options.

Like its predecessor, the Wonderboom 4 carries a list price of $100 but sometimes sells for a little less. Its IP67 rating means that it's not only waterproof but also dust-proof (and able to float).

This model retains the Outdoor Boost mode that boosts treble and you can link two together (or pair up with a Wonderboom 3 or Wonderboom 2) to create a stereo pair by simply pressing a button on each speaker. Featuring very good sound for its small size, there's some decent punch to the bass (being short yet squat helps it produce more low end), but it can only deliver so much kick.

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Released in 2021, the PartyBox 110 packs some serious punch and delivers a bigger sound than many portable boombox speakers, including JBL's own Boombox 3. There's an integrated handle for toting the speaker, but the PartyBox 110 is pretty hefty, weighing in at 23 pounds and measuring slightly more than 22 inches tall. You can stand this Bluetooth boom box up vertically as shown in the picture above or place it horizontally, as it has rubber feet on both sides of the speaker.

It's rated for up to 12 hours of playback time at moderate volume levels and has a redesigned light show that syncs to the beat of your music (you can customize the light show from the speaker itself or use the JBL PartyBox companion app). The speaker has Bluetooth or a wired USB connection and there are guitar and mic inputs. It's also worth noting that the speaker is IPX4 splash-proof and you can wirelessly link two PartyBox 110 speakers together for stereo sound.

The fourth generation of JBL's smallest Bluetooth speaker not only has an upgraded design, but it delivers slightly better sound and significantly better battery life -- up to 7 hours versus the JBL Go 3's 5 hours at moderate volume levels. The speaker can only deliver so much sound for its tiny size (don't get your expectation up to high), but it sounds better than you think given just how small it is (it truly fits in a pocket) and manages to output just enough bass to avoid sounding tinny. Available in multiple color options, the speaker is also durable and has an IP67 water-resistance rating, which means it can survive being fully submerged in water and is also dust-proof. All in all, it's one of the top micro Bluetooth speakers out there.

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Sonos Roam: Available in white or black for $179, the Roam is currently the smallest and most affordable Sonos speaker (if you don't count those $99 Sonos-compatible Symfonisk Ikea Wi-Fi bookshelf speakers), although it's fairly expensive for a mini wireless speaker. This Sonos Roam model, like the bigger Sonos Move 2 portable speaker, is equipped with both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi and can tap into an existing Sonos multiroom audio system and link with other Series 2-compatible Sonos speakers. Learn more about the Sonos Roam with our hands-on review.

Tribit XSound Go: Despite being on the market for several years, the Tribit XSound Go remains one of the top Bluetooth speakers for the money. Besides sounding decent for streaming your favorite music and more, this affordable Bluetooth speaker is also fully waterproof. It has had some small upgrades over the years. Read our full review of the Tribit XSound Go to find out more.

JBL Pulse 5: JBL's Pulse speaker is now in its fifth generation, and both the sound quality and 360-degree light show have been improved. JBL has "expanded the transparent outer body" so the customizable light show looks more impressive. (There's a companion app for iOS and Android that allows you to alter the colorful lighting effects.) The speaker is also IP67 dust-proof and waterproof, and it offers up to 12 hours of battery at moderate volume levels. I did a full review of the JBL Pulse 5 in January of 2023, and it still holds as an excellent speaker option.

Anker Motion Boom: Anker's more expensive Soundcore Motion Boom Plus (see above) is a substantial sound upgrade over the original Motion Boom but this model remains a very good mini boom box for the money. Equipped with a handle and weighing a little over 4 pounds, the speaker reminds me of one of those giant flashlights or "floating lanterns" that were in vogue about 30 years ago. For the record, the Motion Boom actually does float and is fully waterproof with an IPX7 rating. Find out more in our full Anker Motion Boom review.

UE Hyperboom: Ultimate Ears' Boom Bluetooth speakers come in a few different sizes, but none of them are as big as the Hyperboom. A supersize wireless speaker that tips the scales at a hefty 13 pounds, the Hyperboom makes the UE Megaboom 3 look unquestionably puny. It's not cheap, but its sound quality is better than a lot of the jumbo portable speakers on the market right now. Read our full review of the UE Hyperboom.

Marshall Willen: Marshall's little mono Willen speaker is similar to Bose's SoundLink Micro and other micro speakers like the Tribit StormBox Micro 2. Also like those speakers, it has an integrated strap on its base so you can clip it onto a backpack or even to your bike's handlebars. Its 2-inch full-range driver and two passive radiators put out more sound than you'd think it would for its tiny size, and it offers decent clarity as well as just enough bass to avoid sounding tinny (you can choose from three preset sound modes).

Tribit StormBox (Out of Stock): The StormBox looks like a cross between a UE and a JBL speaker. We suspect that's not an accident. This fully waterproof speaker costs significantly less than the JBL Flip 5 and Flip 6 and produces a bigger sound. Its rechargeable battery offers up to 20 hours of battery life for playing music and more. Tribit's XSound speakers are probably a better value, but the StormBox is more stylish.

Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen): A couple of years ago, Bang & Olufsen upgraded its dome-shaped aluminum-clad A1 speaker with improved battery life, better speakerphone performance (it now has a three-microphone array) and slightly improved sound. It's not only the smallest wireless speaker from the Danish company, it's technically the most affordable. You can learn more about the small-but-mighty B&O Beousound A1 in our full review.

Bose SoundLink Micro: Although a little pricey and due to be upgraded, the Bose SoundLink Micro sounds remarkably decent for its tiny size, delivering more bass than other pocketable speakers. It's a fully waterproof Bluetooth speaker and is available in three color options, although the blue version appears to be hard to find. I tested the speaker in 2018 and rated it an 8.3 out of 10 in the Bose SoundLink Micro review.

Anker Soundcore Motion Plus: Anker's Soundcore Motion Plus came out in 2019, but it remains one of the best-sounding speakers for around $100. It's larger than many mini Bluetooth speakers, but it's still compact. It manages to sound quite a bit fuller than much of the competition in its price range, with bigger bass, more volume and better clarity. It's also fully waterproof (IPX7-rated) and has support for the aptX streaming codec for devices like Samsung's Galaxy phones that support it. Read more in my Anker Soundcore Motion Plus review.

Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore: It's a little overpriced for the sound quality it delivers, but the Beosound Explore is a very good little speaker that has a sleek, eye-catching design, is fully waterproof and dustproof (IP67 rating), and offers excellent battery life, with up to 27 hours of music listening at moderate volume levels.

Monoprice Soundstage 3: Monoprice tends to make pretty generic-looking electronic products, and its understated Soundstage 3 Bluetooth speaker probably isn't going to wow you with its design although its minimalist aesthetic has its appeal. It's a good value thanks to its ability to play big sound with strong bass and decent clarity, with 50 watts of power that drives a 5.25-inch "concave aluminum cone woofer" flanked by two 1-inch silk-dome tweeters. It also has good connectivity options, including digital optical, 3.5mm analog and RCA analog wired inputs that allow you to connect your television or another stereo component. There's also a sub-out port.

Tribit XSound Mega (Out of Stock): Over the last few years, Tribit has made several Bluetooth speakers that deliver a lot of boom for the buck. Add its new XSound Mega to the list. Tribit is billing the XSound Mega as more of an outdoor speaker — a lanyard is included for toting it around as a sort of mini boombox — but it works just fine indoors. It has an LED light show that you can turn on or off and there are three EQ settings for sound: XBass, Music and Audiobook. Additionally, it can be used as a power bank to charge your mobile devices.

Before anything else, you'll want to figure out how much you're willing to spend on a new Bluetooth speaker. Value-priced wireless speakers continue to improve, so you can find good "cheap" Bluetooth speakers from Chinese brands like Tribit for not too much money (less than $60). If you're looking for a more premium speaker, you can expect to pay $100 or more, especially for larger portable speakers that deliver better sound.

Bigger speakers tend to sound better, delivering a bigger sound with more bass. Going bigger means they weigh more, which can make them a little harder to carry around. So you have to balance size with performance if you're looking for something that's easily portable. If you're interested in a larger portable speaker, one feature worth looking out for is a built-in handle.

Many Bluetooth speakers are now fully waterproof and some are fully dustproof. If you're planning on taking the speaker with you to the beach, pool party or hiking trip, having a more durable speaker is a desirable trait.

Some speakers have a built-in microphone that turns them into a speakerphone when making calls on your cell phone. Many speakers don't offer that feature, so choose accordingly if that's something you're looking for. If you're looking for more speakers that fit this bill, check out our roundup of the best speakerphones here.

In assessing what the best Bluetooth speakers are, we consider the design of the speaker and how durable it seems, along with sound quality, battery life, extra features (such as additional connectivity options) and overall value. We test speakers in real-life environments both indoors and outdoors and compare it to other speakers in the same price range.

The list includes everything from compact mini models and pocket-size micro versions to heftier models with powerful audio. For more, check out our lists of the best smart speakers, best PC speakers and the best Wi-Fi speakers and music systems.

When choosing a Bluetooth speaker, it comes down to size and price. If you're looking for a very portable speaker, you'll want to get something very compact, but remember that smaller speakers usually produce less sound and bass than larger ones. There are plenty of mini Bluetooth speakers that deliver a bigger sound than you might expect, but they do have their sonic limitations. For a lot of people, it's a question of finding a speaker that's not too big or too small -- one that travels well but also is capable of producing good sound for its size. Finding the best portable Bluetooth speaker also comes down to your budget.

Price can be a limiting factor. You may not want to spend $150 or more for a small speaker. Luckily, there are plenty of good options for $100, and some decent mini Bluetooth speakers can cost less than $50. Also, certain "value" brands that sell primarily on Amazon are strongly worth considering because they do offer a lot for the money.

If you're looking for the best sound quality, as I said, bigger is usually better, and some larger portable Bluetooth speakers -- sometimes referred to as Bluetooth boom boxes -- can put out a lot of sound and have an integrated handle for toting them around.

Well, first of all, you need a TV, video streaming device or set-top cable or satellite box that has Bluetooth. You connect a Bluetooth speaker just like you do Bluetooth earbuds: through the Bluetooth settings menu on your TV or those aforementioned devices (Apple TV, for instance, has Bluetooth connectivity, making it easy to connect your AirPods).

The only issue with connecting a Bluetooth speaker to your TV is that there can be some audio-video syncing issues due to Bluetooth lag. In some cases, where your Bluetooth speaker has an audio input (a few high-end Bluetooth speakers even have digital audio inputs), you can use a wired connection to the speaker via the audio outputs on your TV. Soundbars tend to use the optical or HDMI connection on your TV to get sound. Many soundbars have a Bluetooth option so you can wirelessly stream music from your phone to the soundbar. So if you're looking to really build out the sound on your television, you may want to look into building a true home theater system or a great soundbar audio experience.

The loudest Bluetooth speakers are the biggest ones. Sometimes they're referred to as boom boxes or "party" speakers. Some of those speakers are portable and have built-in rechargeable batteries while the biggest party speakers have wheels on them for transport and need to be plugged in with an AC adapter because they require so much power.

We have a list of the best wireless boom box speakers if you're looking for a bigger Bluetooth speaker. It's also worth noting that Bluetooth speakers from the same company can be daisy-chained together to augment their sound or paired together as a left-right stereo pair. Often, the best way to get a bigger sound is to pair two Bluetooth speakers together in a stereo pair.

Quality Bluetooth speakers usually cost between $50 and $400. Budget-friendly options like the Anker Soundcore Motion 300 ($50-$80) offer decent sound quality for more casual listening. Mid-range Bluetooth speakers such as the JBL Flip 6 ($150-$200) can provide better audio fidelity and battery life for more serious listening. If you're hoping to splurge, premium models like the Bose SoundLink Max ($250-$400) deliver exceptional sound quality, build materials and additional features for the highest quality audio experience.

What to consider

Budget

Before anything else, you'll want to figure out how much you're willing to spend on a new Bluetooth speaker.

Size

Be sure to balance size with performance if you're looking for something that's easily portable.

Durability

Many Bluetooth speakers are now fully waterproof and some are fully dustproof. If you're planning on taking the speaker with you to the beach or on a hiking trip, consider a more durable speaker.

Speakerphone capabilities

Some speakers have a built-in microphone that turns them into a speakerphone when making calls on your cell phone.

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